


I Told You

by RickGrimes



Category: Walking Dead, Walking Dead (Comics), Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Parent/Child Incest, Prison, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-19 20:16:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1482529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RickGrimes/pseuds/RickGrimes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carl gets a sunburn and Rick takes care of him which leads to admissions of feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Told You

**Author's Note:**

> Yay for hurt/comfort. There is incest in this fic, but it's kept very light...just kissing and an understanding that things will potentially escalate. Enjoy! Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think.

“Carl what are you staring at?” Rick asked, stopping and facing the boy while they worked in the garden. Rick squinted against the sun and shielded his eyes with his hand. He couldn’t see much with the sun obscuring his vision, but he could still tell Carl was staring at him it was so obvious.

“Nothing,” Carl shrugged, continuing his digging halfheartedly.

“Oh yeah, I’m sure,” he scoffed, beginning to work again.

Carl sighed, “You really want to know?”

“I do.”

“You’re sweating. It’s gross,” Carl raised his eyebrows in anticipation of his dad’s reaction.

Rick rolled his eyes, “Like you haven’t seen sweat before?” He said, gesturing to his bare chest.

Carl stuck the shovel in the ground roughly, “A hairy man chest? No thanks. Can’t you put your shirt back on or something?” Carl suggested. He continued to stare. He wasn’t really lying at why he was staring, but he was lying about it being disgusting. It was distracting more than anything.

“I think you’re just jealous, Carl,” Rick retorted.

“Why would I be jealous?” Carl said, putting a hand on his hips and looking at his father sarcastically.

“You wish you had a ‘hairy man chest’. You know I look good, admit it,” Rick grinned, teasing. He was just kidding; he didn’t think he looked good or bad either way. He was just a man. It was hot so he took his shirt off—his motivations didn’t really extend past that, but he wondered if Carl actually found the sight that offensive. He hoped not.

“You caught me, you’re hot stuff, dad,” Carl shook his head, rolling his eyes.

“See, just admit it,” Rick winked.

Carl gulped and looked away, ending the conversation. The flirting and teasing were a little too much to handle when he was trying to get over checking his dad out. He noticed Rick still didn’t put his shirt on. Why would he? Oh well, Carl thought, I’ll just take mine off then. He unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the ground, looking at his dad defiantly from under his hat, wondering if he’d get a reaction.

The boy was surprised at the one he received. Rick had glanced at him out of habit, and then did a double take when he saw he was shirtless. The man looked him up and down before clearing his throat, “Carl?” he questioned.

“It’s hot,” the boy explained.

“You’re gonna get a sunburn,” Rick warned.

“No I won’t,” Carl argued.

Rick raised his eyebrows, a smirk playing at his lips, “Don’t come crying to me when you can’t move your arms. You’re fair-skinned. 10 minutes is all it takes.”

“Is it the sunburn or another reason you don’t want me to have my shirt off?” Carl asked, boldly.

Rick frowned, looking at the boy questioningly. Had Carl noticed him looking at him earlier? He should’ve been more careful. If Carl found out what had been on his mind…they’d be done. Rick didn’t want that.

“Nevermind,” Carl said, “I was just kidding.” He didn’t put his shirt back on though. It was wishful thinking that his dad was just as distracted by his bare chest.

They worked the next half hour in silence, finishing a bit earlier than usual. Rick grabbed his shirt from the ground and fell into step next to Carl who was buttoning up his as they walked. The man put his arm around his son, “Good work, today,” he said.

“Ow, oh my God, Dad get off,” Carl moved agilely from under Rick’s arm.

Rick frowned at the rejection before he realized what it meant, “You got a sun burn,” he stated, stopping his steps.

Carl frowned, “It would seem so. Ugh.”

Rick was torn between laughing because he had been right and scooping up Carl and getting him inside so he didn’t get sick.

“All right,” he chuckled, “Let’s get you inside and get you some water. You’d be dehydrated as it is, but it’ll be worse now.”

Carl nodded, glad that his dad hadn’t rubbed it in. He’d accept the care that his father would undoubtedly provide.

 

They walked back into the cellblock, only encountering Hershel and Daryl who were playing with Judith.

“What happened to the little man?” Daryl asked, looking away from the baby to Rick.

“Sunburn,” Rick explained, “Just gonna get him some water and have him lay down.”

Hershel nodded, “That would be best. He’s dehydrated. Judith will be fine with Daryl for the night, I’m sure,” he said, smiling fondly at the man.

“You got it,” Daryl shrugged, “Me and little Asskicker.”

Carl laughed lightly, wanting to retreat to his cell. He just wanted to lie down and get rid of the discomfort.

“Where you off to?” Rick asked the boy.

“My room?”

“You’re staying with me tonight, Carl,” Rick said.

“It’s just a sunburn, you don’t need to take care of me. I’m not a baby,” Carl said, embarrassed. He felt stupid for not listening in the first place. It was almost worse now that his dad had one more job to do.

“Can we not? Just suck it up and let me do something for you,” Rick said, “You’re still my son no matter how old you are. So I’m gonna take care of you. All right?”

“Fine,” Carl said, secretly pleased that he’d get to spend a night with his dad. Most times he was distant or worrying about something else.

Rick smiled, pleased with Carl’s acceptance.

 

Carl sat on the bed and Rick shut the door to the room, pulling the curtain as well. Rick moved towards Carl, “Okay, I’ll get your shirt off first,” he said aloud, bending to unbutton the boy’s shirt.

“Really?” Carl smirked.

Rick blushed, “If I’m gonna do it, may as well go all the way,” he said.

Carl looked into Rick’s eyes, searching for hidden meaning, but the man looked down at his shirt, undoing it quickly and gently pulling it off. Carl tried to move his arms to make it easier, but it burned. That was why his dad was doing it. Shrugging back was painful.

His father’s fingertips brushed lightly over his hot skin and he shuddered.

“Sorry,” Rick said.

“Feels good,” Carl admitted.

Rick smiled, setting Carl’s shirt on the bed. He pulled back and grabbed the water bottle he kept beside his bed, handing it to the boy.

“I could hold it to your mouth, but that might be a bit much,” Rick joked.

Carl laughed, “Yeah I can do that much,” he said, drinking greedily after the man handed him the water.

Rick watched the boy drink, “Don’t worry either, if we need more water, I’ll get it. Don’t need you fainting.”

Carl nodded gratefully, he was still thirsty, “Now?”

Rick grinned, leaving the cell and returning with two bottles. He would give up his share of water if it came down to it, but they had plenty for now.

“Thanks,” the boy said, shifting on the bed. He wanted to lie down, but he knew it would hurt. He hadn’t had a sunburn in years and had forgotten how uncomfortable and inconvenient it was.

“I’ll have to find something else to do for work tomorrow, maybe take watch,” Carl said, feeling guilty.

Rick nodded, “Either that or just stay in and rest. I’m sure we can cover it. Watch would be a good idea since the tower is shade.”

Carl smiled, “Yeah, I don’t want to start slacking now.”

Rick shook his head.

 

The man moved to get the bucket of water he kept in the corner along with a clean towel. He had just changed it that morning, so it wasn’t dirtied yet.

He brought it over to Carl and sat with him on the bed. “The cold water will help,” Rick said, “Although it might be a shock at first.”

Carl shrugged, “Go ahead.”

Rick moved back on the bed, sitting behind Carl with the bucket between his legs. The boy's back was bright red, but there were no blisters. He stuck the cloth in the water and wrung it out, dabbing it on Carl’s back.

The boy’s shoulder muscles fluttered and relaxed and goosebumps broke out across his skin. Without thinking, Rick moved forward and pressed his lips to the back of Carl’s neck, his lips burning from the heat of the boy’s skin.

Carl leaned back into it, not protesting.

Rick took his lips away and repeated his motion with the cloth, causing Carl to shiver. The man followed the burn down Carl’s arms and back, reaching around to press the cloth against his chest as well. He pressed his lips to Carl’s back this time, between his shoulders. Carl hummed, leaning back once more.

Rick did it again, pressing light kisses across Carl’s back and shoulders, each gentle and soft. He wished each kiss would make Carl feel a little better. He tried to be careful so his beard wouldn’t scratch the boy’s sensitive skin and make it worse.

He thought maybe he should stop before it crossed a line, but Carl wasn’t saying anything and he was enjoying it.

Rick trailed the kisses back up to Carl’s neck, reaching behind his ear. Carl laughed and twisted his head in response to the tickling sensation.

“Carl?” Rick breathed against his skin.

The boy shifted in front of his dad so he could turn and face him, “Yeah?”

Rick leaned forward and kissed Carl on the lips, just as gently as his other kisses had been. He pulled away slowly, fearing and anticipating the boy’s reaction. He opened his eyes to look into his son's.

Carl smiled, his already rosy cheeks growing impossibly rosier. He moved forward into the distance Rick had created and kissed his father back gently. It was closed mouth and simple, neither of them really moving, just enjoying the connection.

They pulled away at the same time, Rick moving off the bed so he could put the bucket away. He crawled back on the bed and sat next to Carl. The moment wasn’t broken and they resumed their kiss, this time Rick moved his lips, and allowed his hands to rest on Carl’s hips, safely away from the burn. Carl responded by moving his lips hesitantly with his father's, eyes blinking open to make sure he was doing it right.

Rick lied them down and broke the kiss, choosing to end it there. He was happy with the kiss, his lips tingling and his face heated.

Carl smiled at his father as he lied next to him. His burn still hurt, but it was bearable. He could still feel his dad’s mouth on him and he shuddered in delight.

“I love you, Carl,” Rick said, reaching forward to grab the boy’s hand.

“I love you,” Carl answered, entwining his fingers with Ricks.

He didn’t need any more explanation than his dad beside him, hands joined. They both understood well enough what this was now. They didn’t need to say it aloud. It’d always been that way, silent understanding and communication interlaced with expressions of sentiment that were more preference than necessity. Obviously they loved each other. What else would there ever be? Carl allowed himself to fall asleep next to Rick, knowing he’d be well taken care of.


End file.
